The former superintendent of St. Louis (Missouri) Public Schools accumulated a record of extravagant spending including $88,500 in questionable credit card charges during her short tenure in charge of the school district.
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that Keisha Scarlett also bypassed district policies to award at least $3 million in salaries and contracts to her friends and former colleagues from Seattle Public Schools. She also received a monthly car allowance of $800 as well as a district-owned car in violation of her contract, according to the 50-page investigative report from the Armanino accounting firm.
Scarlett, 50, was hired to run the district in July 2023 at a salary of $268,000, replacing longtime superintendent Kelvin Adams. On July 25, 2024, Scarlett was placed on paid temporary leave pending the results of the investigation, which included an audit of staff hires, salaries and consultant fees.
The board voted to fire Scarlett on Sept. 13 and again at an appeals hearing Oct. 14, while the investigation remained ongoing.
The report paints a picture of excessive spending on meals, travel and gifts on four credit cards assigned to Scarlett and others in her office.
Scarlett's attorney in Atlanta said the report is "biased and lacks credibility."
"The Board of Education used this sham investigation to unlawfully terminate Dr. Scarlett, while intentionally excluding her from the process," Sherry Culves. "This is a continuation of the pattern of injustice and vendetta the Board of Education has against Dr. Scarlett."
Scarlett said in October she intended to sue the St. Louis district for wrongful termination.
In addition to questions about her credit card and transportation spending, the investigation also found Scarlett authorized $94,801 in retroactive pay for eight administrators and $146,000 for temporary contracts for new cabinet members before their start dates. These decisions, the report found, were made without board approval.
Among its many findings, the report highlights what it describes as "unusual credit card transactions," including purchases of "charcuterie boards, flowers, and Edible Arrangements" that were described as gifts for Board of Education members and district employees.
Scarlett appeared to have incurred travel expenditures that violated limits on how much she could spend, the report said. For example, district policy limited coach airfares to $500 but Scarlett exceeded that amount in least 26 transactions. In all, she incurred about $11,500 in charges for airline expenditures that were not allowed.
Other non-reimbursable expenses include internet access fees, tips and gratuities, and travel to professional meetings that weren't approved by the district.
Matt Davis, the board's vice president, said the district will likely seek to recoup any fraudulent funds spent by Scarlett.
